Victoria Golf Club's Bernakevitch and Doell win the 2025 PING Canada Tournament of Champions presented by Maui Jim Sunglasses

May 27, 2025

Oliver, BC (PGA of BC) - Victoria Golf Club’s Head Professional Lindsay Bernakevitch and Men’s Club Champion Craig Doell took an exhilarating victory at Fairview Mountain Golf Club in yesterday’s PING Canada Tournament of Champions presented by Maui Jim Sunglasses. This marked Victoria Golf Club’s fourth Tournament of Champions title and the third for each of Bernakevitch and Doell, tying the records for both victories by a club and by individual competitors in the event.

Weathering the beautiful sunshine one minute and biblical downpours the next, Bernakevitch and Doell attacked the course with ferocity, compiling 9 birdies in the best-ball shotgun-start competition. Bernakevitch, the 2024 PGA of BC Championship winner, and Doell, the 19-time Victoria Golf Club Men’s Club Champion, said a clutch moment on their final hole, the par-3 third, sealed their victory.

“We knew we were close. We made a bunch of birdies, but we didn’t clutch up on a couple of the par-5s. The worst weather was at the end of our round on the most difficult holes. Suddenly, the skies parted, the wind stopped, and we had a final par-3 to play,” said Bernakevitch. “Craig hits this shot in there, 18 feet below the hole. I hit it 20 feet right of the hole, and I just missed the putt. You can feel it, when you’re out there, you know what the score is going to be. We thought ‘eight-under is probably a playoff, nine wins it.’ Craig just buried it. Right in the middle, centre-cup, so perfect. We screamed up there, we knew we had it.”

Bernakevitch and Doell’s gut feeling proved correct, as their 9-under total was enough to win by a single shot. Victoria Golf Club’s fourth Tournament of Champions title, having also won in 2007, 2015 and 2017, tied Point Grey Golf & Country Club for the most all-time victories by a club.

“Winning this again with Lindsay is really special,” said Doell. “It means a lot to Victoria Golf Club. We pride ourselves on our history with a lot of great players over the years. It’s an honour.”

Bernakevitch is enjoying somewhat of a renaissance throughout the last year. From 2011-2018, he took five PGA of BC titles: the 2011 PGA of BC Championship, the 2015 and 2018 Club Professional Championship, and the 2015 and 2017 Tournament of Champions. From 2019 through August of last year, the winners’ circle evaded Bernakevitch until his dramatic playoff victory at the 2024 PGA of BC Championship. Now, just nine months later, he can celebrate another prestigious victory.

“In all honesty, it’s kind of funny, I’ve been working on my game just to try and beat my kid. My son has been really into golf, he’s started to become a bit of a player, and he’s pressuring me,” said Bernakevitch “The last couple years have just been a lot of fun. I feel like my game is in a good place. If you play a lot and have a great attitude, good things happen.”

“Lindsay is like a fine wine,” added Doell. “He just gets better with age!”

Kelowna Golf & Country Club’s Head Professional Rob Anderson and Men’s Club Champion Mike Byland earned runner-up honours with a fantastic effort, shooting 8-under par. The duo’s round included an eagle on the par-5 fifth and four straight birdies to open the back-nine.

Tying for third place at 7-under were teams from Fairview Mountain Golf Club (Executive Professional Brian McDonald and Justin Brandt) and Nk’Mip Canyon Desert Golf Course (Head Professional Todd Tweedy and Rick Johnson).

The PGA of BC recognizes that these events could not take place without the incredible generosity of our sponsors. Thank you to Title Sponsor PING Canada, General Manager Dave Wilson, and Sales Representatives Terry Graham and Adrian Deakin for their long-time support. PING Canada’s sponsorship has been instrumental to the continued growth of the Tournament of Champions.

The Association also thanks Presenting Sponsor Maui Jim Sunglasses, General Manager Jeff Speiran, and Sales Representative Kenny Talpa for their patronage, with each amateur competitor taking home a free pair of premium shades.

The PGA of BC also extends our appreciation to Supporting Sponsor Motocaddy distributed by MKRAK and Sales Representatives Teena Margaritis and Steve Graham, who graciously donated a Motocaddy M7 Remote Electric Trolley golf bag cart.

While the rain soaked competitors, their scorecards remained dry thanks to the Association’s new Official Scorecard Supplier, Rock Paper Corp. Printed on Limestone CaC03, the scorecards are waterproof, tear-resistant and eco-friendly.

The Association extends its thanks to Referee Brian Schreiner for his time and efforts.

Finally, the PGA of BC is extremely grateful to Head Professional Rob Tadey, Executive Professional Brian McDonald, Superintendent Daniel Lee, Food & Beverage Manager Jordan Shoemaker, and the entire Fairview Mountain Golf Club team for their world-class hospitality and tireless support throughout the tournament.

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